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Food and Beverage Manager - Somerset House

Department: Commercial Events

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: London

Workplace type: Hybrid

Compensation: £34,000 - £36,000 / year

Working closely with the Head of Food and Beverage, this new position will play a crucial role in managing all aspects of Somerset House’s food and beverage onsite operations, ensuring a consistent experience in line with our brand ethos as the home of cultural innovators.

Under the direction of the Head of Food and Beverage and Commercial Director, this role will be responsible for successfully managing all F&B (both permanent and pop-up activations) across the year, ensuring outstanding operator relationships and a thriving food and beverage offer, which integrates and maximises F&B opportunities across all commercial activity. 

We are looking for a proactive individual, with a solution focused approach, who thrives working in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience of managing and growing food and beverage operations, ideally within a cultural venue. They will possess exceptional organisational skills, have a strong understanding of the food and beverage industry (with a passion for the creative industries), as well as a keen eye for detail.

The role involves close collaboration with a range of Somerset House teams, including Live Events which delivers SKATE and the Summer Series. The delivery of this role will contribute to the growth and sustainability of Somerset House’s Commercial services.

Somerset House pursues a ‘Step Inside, Think Outside’ spirit and is born from the creative community we nurture  - the experience and perspectives we host across background, age, race, and stage, and the intersections and crossovers we encourage. 

Food & Beverage Manager

Operational Management

  • Support the immediate operational transition of F&B operations at Somerset House.
  • Responsible for the successful management of food and beverage, making Somerset House an F&B destination in its own right, across: SKATE pop-up F&B (The Chalet and SKATE Lounge) plus others
  • Ad hoc pop-up F&B operations
  • Exhibition related F&B led activations  
  • Impactful F&B offers across the cultural programme, including partner projects
  • Development of a distinctive F&B offer as part of any future membership plans
  • Resident event and meeting room catering
  • Main point of contact for all food and beverage operators - confidently and simultaneously manage a mixed portfolio of outlets and projects, responding to site queries and problem solving where required.
  • Work with the Head of Food & Beverage to contract, plan, deliver and debrief all pop-up food and beverage activations.
  • Point of contact for all internal F&B feedback - actioning feedback where appropriate.
  • Identify & implement opportunities to simplify and improve F&B operations across the Trust.

Relationship Management

  • Work closely with each operator to ensure exceptional customer service for all site visitors, leading to increased footfall, enhanced dwell time, and a positive experience for residents and visitors. 
  • Effective cross-department working relationships, where all departments feel supported and engaged with F&B activity, and work closely with the Estates and Facilities teams to review and update Operator documentation.
  • Develop a close and effective working relationship with OCS facilities management, Corps Security and all departments across the Trust. 
  • Develop and manage relationships with Kings College and the Courtauld Gallery/Institute to ensure activity across the organisations are seamlessly delivered.

Marketing and Income Generation

  • Work closely with the wider Commercial team (Sales, Operations and Projects) to deliver cost effective solutions for clients, Residents and internal events.
  • Work closely with Marketing & Comms team to deliver activity which meets pre-defined outcomes for each operation.
  • Keep abreast of new market innovation and the strengths, weaknesses and delivery of competitors, and remain receptive to innovative ideas and pursue them.

Finance and Reporting 

  • Follow correct financial processes. Manage weekly and monthly revenue data across all operators, tracking turnover, analysing trends and updating and communicating in a timely manner. 
  • Work with the Head of Food and Beverage to accurately budget and reforecast F&B income and expenditure, working creatively to maximise profit where possible.

Process and Compliance

  • Use DIESE (or equivalent event/site management software) effectively to allow detailed and accurate diary management and reporting. 
  • Work with Estates team to ensure each F&B operator is compliant with all legal requirement and meets necessary standards including Health and Safety, Food Safety and Licensing. Conduct quarterly H&S and Operational audits to ensure compliance.

Please see the attached job pack for further job information

Skills, knowledge & expertise required for the role:

Experience:

  • Strong and demonstrable operational and project management experience managing food and beverage outlets within high-turnover (ideally cultural) venues
  • Proven experience of developing long term relationships with suppliers
  • Health & Safety management experience, with strong understanding of H&S legislation 
  • Demonstrate a personal commitment to Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Experienced in building excellent rapport with clients and peers alike, with strong customer focus and interpersonal skills

Desirable:

  • Health and Safety Level 3 
  • Events and corporate hospitality experience 
  • Personal License holder 
  • First Aid trained

Skills:

  • Highly organised, motivated with a calm, diplomatic and flexible approach, with excellent prioritisation skills
  • High level of proficiency working with standard business software including MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

Benefits to working at Somerset House

Mental Health & Wellbeing

- Access to our external Employee Assistance Programme (CiC) for free 24/7 confidential advice and support, including up to 6 free counselling sessions per year where needed

- Mental health support and guidance from our in-house trained Mental Health First Aiders 

- Hybrid working based on having 3 days in the office per week (pro rata if part-time)
- Contribution towards eye tests and glasses
-Trust life insurance scheme 

Holiday

- Enhanced annual leave – 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata)

- Birthday leave - additional day leave 

- Celebration day  - to celebrate anything of your choice

Other Leave

- Sick leave – 20 days full pay, followed by 20 days half pay (pro rata & following 3 months service)

- Emergency dependent care – option to use 25% of paid sick leave for emergency care of a dependent (pro rata & following 3 months service)

- Enhanced maternity pay

 Pension

- 8% employer pension contributions, no employee contribution required*

- Option for salary sacrifice

- Interest-free loans

- Season ticket loan

- Cycle to Work scheme

Discounts, offers and free stuff
-The list is endless and includes tickets to Somerset House events and entrance to other London Heritage sites
-Discounts in Somerset House cafes and restaurants
-Discounts with various high street retailers and restaurants
-Discount to local leisure centres

*following 3 months employment

About Somerset House Trust

Somerset House hosts the UK’s largest and most exciting creative community right in the heart of London, and are always looking for new talent to join our team. We welcome 3 million annual visitors to share our unique combination of cultural events, the creative industries and history. This mix informs and powers our programme and organisational culture, making us a singular, compelling and inclusive place to visit and work.

Somerset House is actively anti-racist, you can read about our Anti-Racism Pledge and the action we’re taking here.  We are working hard to ensure our people, our onsite community and our sector reflect, represent and include all of society. 

Our Commitment to Anti-Racism, Diversity and Inclusion:

Somerset House is open to all, and we value everyone's unique skills. Somerset House Trust is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to championing equality, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace.  We are committed to equal opportunity and encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background. 

Where candidates are equally qualified, we will seek to prioritise diversity to help us increase representation across the creative economy and the Trust.

We anonymise all job applications to help avoid discrimination in the initial screening stage of our recruitment process. This reinforces our commitment to focusing on the skills and qualifications of all applications from the start.

We're committed to creating an inclusive recruitment process. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help you perform at your best. We're open to adjusting our process to accommodate your needs. 

Contact:

To apply and for further information please click here

Please only apply if you have the right to work in the UK; the Trust cannot currently offer sponsorships.

The Trust reserves the right to close a job before its application deadline.

Deadline: Sunday, February 9, 2025 - 23:30

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